Kayitsinga rules out running for athletics presidency

AFTER nearly a year of bickering, Rwanda Athletics Federation (RAF) will get a new lease of life when a new executive committee is elected on April 29.

Monday, March 26, 2012
The return of normal order in the national athletics federation will be good news for the athletes, who have been the worst affected by the internal wrangles. The New Times/File.

AFTER nearly a year of bickering, Rwanda Athletics Federation (RAF) will get a new lease of life when a new executive committee is elected on April 29.The Ministry of Sports and Culture had instituted an interim committee, led by Alexander Kayitsinga, to oversee the transition period but now Kayitsinga confirmed to Times Sport that he will not seek to remain in the post permanently."My brief was to oversee this transition period and that is what my committee will do till when a new executive committee is elected."....and contrary to what many people have been saying, I don’t intent to offer myself for the post of presidency because of my busy schedule,” Kayitsinga said.However, the official declined to confirm or deny reports that serving military and police officers have been barred from running for civilian offices especially in sports organisations.Brig. Gen Jean Bosco Kazura, Lt. Eric Kalisa and Supt. Gerald Ntare resigned from the football, basketball and athletics federations, respectively, last year, citing ‘personal reasons.’Col. Charles Rudakubana, the president of the National Olympic Committee is the only serving military officer in charge of a sports body at the moment.The posts up for grabs are: president, 1st vice president, 2nd vice president, Secretary General, treasurer and two advisors.